Chapter 19: Robbing Clean

[Third Person's Point of View]

The artificial sun hung low on the horizon, casting a deep orange light across the purple sky and reflecting off the sleek buildings of Ameing. The city was aglow in the sunlight, creating a stunning contrast against the dark purple sky.

The mountains towered over the city, their rocky peaks reaching towards the glowing orange sun, casting long shadows across the landscape. The buildings of the city were bathed in a warm, golden light, creating a picturesque view for anyone to see.

The majority of the devils paused in their activities to admire the beauty of nature. However, there were a few who were too occupied to appreciate such scenery.

Augustus was one of the latter, busy packing his important belongings in the spatial storage ring he got from Bernard.

The ring was surprisingly large, containing the equivalent of two large rooms worth of space in it. Augustus had carefully curated his father's safe and library inside, keeping all the important items within reach. Now, it was time to move on to the next phase of his plan.

Before he departed from Ameing, he wanted to collect some keepsakes to bring with him. In addition to packing all of his essential belongings, he made sure to take plenty of items that held sentimental value and reminded him of his childhood home and his parents.

As he finished packing his belongings, the darkness of night had already descended upon the sky outside. He quickly changed into a black outfit, showcasing his toned arms as he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. His midnight-hued hair was tousled but still alluring. Before leaving, he caught one last glimpse of himself in the bedroom mirror, admiring his striking amethyst eyes before heading out into the darkness

With a loud thud, the front gate shut behind him as he made his way down the lawn towards the outer wall of the property. He took his time, carefully observing his surroundings as he walked.

It would certainly be a long time before he returned. 

As he passed through the outer gate, he felt a wave of energy wash over him, allowing him to leave. He glanced back and saw that his house had disappeared, replaced by an empty stretch of land. This was the barrier's illusion at work.

However, that was not the end of it. Upon returning from the Trading company the previous evening, he had stayed up all night meticulously altering the barrier.

[Start]

As he spoke the magical trigger, the ground before him seemed to ripple and warp, as if an invisible force was pulling it downward. The once solid earth now sank, creating a deepening hole in front of the man.

He had used a multitude of spells on the barrier, ensuring that the entire plot of land was protected and preserved underground with a powerful [Stasis] spell.

He took a step forward, and the mirage transformed into tangible reality. This time, there was no barrier to scan him, allowing him to pass through freely. 

His home was now hidden underground, and an expanse of lush grassy land its vacant space was filled the space where it used to be. Beyond that, thick forests stretched out into the distance.

[Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence]

The trees appeared out of thin air, materializing into towering forms that stretched up towards the sky. They were identical to the ones in the forest, with thick trunks and lush green leaves blending perfectly with the natural landscape.

Augustus let out a heavy sigh, resigning himself to the fact that it was time to leave. He turned around and walked leisurely, determined to take care of one final task before carrying out his plan.

Ten minutes later, he stood before Devilson, preparing to say goodbye to Dave.

The bell chimed pleasantly as he walked into the store, and Dave's joyful greeting cut through the air. "Oi Augustus! Wassup?"

"You seem to be in an awfully good mood Mr. Dave. Did anything good happen?", approached the counter and asked.

Augustus observed that the store was deserted except for them, giving them privacy without any interruptions.

Dave couldn't contain his excitement as he blurted out, "Is it that obvious? My wife just found out she's pregnant with a baby girl yesterday. I'm going to be a dad!"His excitement was contagious and he couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. 

Augustus' face automatically turned into a large smile, as he truly felt happy for Dave. "Congratulations Mr. Dave."

"Yes yes! I was hoping to tell you soon, so I am glad you dropped by today"

"Me too. But unfortunately Mr. Dave, I came to inform you about something else".

Dave's smile slowly dropped, as he asked Augustus in a serious tone, "What happened kid? Is it something bad? Are you in trouble?"

He shook his head, his previous smile turning bitter. "I got a call from one of my relatives in Lilith. They opened a new store there and offered me a job. I decided to take up the offer"

"When are you moving?", Dave asked, his previous serious tone softening a lot.

"Today"

The conversation came to a brief halt, as Dave's eyes welled as he stared at Augustus.

Stepping away from the register, he wrapped Augustus in a warm and tight embrace.

Dave's arms wrapped tightly around Augustus in a farewell embrace. "I'll miss you, kid," he said, pulling away with a wistful smile. "I had hoped Lily would have you as an older brother figure, but I am proud of you for following your heart."

He playfully messed up Augustus' hair and joked, "Why don't you get a cell phone? Are you some kind of millennia-old devil who dislikes modern technology?"

Both of them broke out into laughter at that. It was true. Augustus Ashford was a tech geek while his devil counterpart hated technology with passion. He even preferred those old crusting books to digital ebook readers. 

Even the computer in his room was bought due to his father's attempt at modernising him.

"Sure will do old man", Augustus said as he took a chocolate candy from the shelf beside the counter and popped it into his mouth. "Write me up for this will ya? I'll pay the next time I visit"

Dave smiled exasperated at Augustus's antics, as he accompanied him outside.

"Stay safe Augustus", he said for one final time, as the raven-haired boy walked off into the distance.

"Don't worry old man. I'll come back alright"

*

Augustus materialized in Bernard's office, taking in the changing scenery around him. The elder man rose from his seat at the desk as Augustus appeared.

"Sire", he bowed at Augustus, who was in another different disguise this time. His current form had light silver hair, which often takes on a darker hue depending on the reflection of light. And his eyes were a striking shade of blue, drawing all attention towards them.

To complete his look he was dressed in a dark green V-neck shirt paired with a high-collared black leather jacket. That was complemented by burgundy jeans adorned with a silver chain and black leather chaps that feature three bands encircling his right calf. Completing his look were black shoes with matching buckles.

If anyone from his old world were to look at him right now, they would find his look exactly identical to the runaway half-human half-devil Lucifer.

"Have you carried out the orders?"

"Exactly as you wished, sire", Bernard bowed once more with his hand over his heart. 

"Let's go", Augustus didn't wait for Bernard as he strode towards the door, with the old man hurriedly following behind.

The pair descended the stairs towards their destination, the first floor, without exchanging a single word. Only the sound of their footsteps echoed in the stairwell.

Any guards they encountered along the way met the same gruesome fate at the hands of Augustus: first, being paralyzed and then slowly poisoned to death with a simple snap of his fingers.

As they approached the main entrance on the ground floor, the elderly man walked past Augustus.

"Allow me sire" His hand gripped the handle of the massive wooden door, and pushed it open to reveal a bustling floor filled with hundreds of employees mingling and chatting.

The conversation halted momentarily when Augustus entered the hall, but the group soon resumed their chat as if he weren't there. However, they fell silent once more as they caught sight of their head general manager walking in. From that moment on, all eyes were on him and the room became permanently quiet.

On their last meeting, he put Bernard under hypnosis and instructed him to shut down the building early the following day and gather everyone for a staff meeting on the first floor.

The pair stopped a few meters away from the crowd, with Bernard positioned behind him. He began speaking first, loudly addressing the group, "Listen up, everyone. We have an important message to share" and nodded towards Augustus.

The entire staff was curious about the identity of the young man standing in front of the manager, waiting for him to speak.

"Uhh, Everyone, thank you for your help", he finished quickly, as his bright blue eyes took on a purple hue for an instant.

[Maximise Magic: Mass Hypnosis]

The employees' eyes glazed over, their once focused and lively gazes turning vacant and almost robotic. But then, as if coming out of a trance, they cleared up and they all simultaneously bowed, their hands pressed against their chests in a practised and precise motion, like a military parade.

Satisfied witnessing his spell work, Augustus eyed Bernard behind him and commanded, "Do your job"

Bernard gave a confirming bob of his head and proceeded, directing the employees under hypnosis to execute his scheme.

Augustus was aware that the building was massive and there wasn't enough time to steal everything.

Why would he go through the trouble of doing everything himself when he could simply have the company's own employees bring everything he needs by themselves?

"Alright! Everyone get to work--oh! Except Edwin, you come here", Augustus' voice boomed, as the devils scurried around to fulfil their respective roles, while Edwin came in front of him and bowed. 

"What can I do for you, M'lord?", the boy straightened up as he spoke.

"Mmm, nah nah, you don't have to do anything for me", Augustus pressed his index finger against Edwin's forehead as he continued, "It's about what I can do for you"

He smiled cruelly as he activated his Innate Technique.

[Nighmare's Embrace]

The boy fell down unconscious, his face contorted in pain and his body jerked involuntarily.

'Consider this a mercy Edwin' he mocked in his head, as he settled into a plush leather chair, observing the convulsing body with a blank expression.

Edwin frequently used blackmail and threats to coerce girls into his bed. Right now in the nightmare, he was the one being subjected to the same actions he inflicted on his victims, only this time it was a group of boys carrying them out. 

If he was unable to break out of the nightmare within thirty minutes, he would die.

The method of breaking out, even Augustus didn't know.

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Author-san here!!!

The First Arc is nearing its end. The next few chapters are gonna be awesome. I promise.

Let's get to 75 Powerstones for this one.

The next chapter is on Thursday.

(If we get to the goal within 24 hours, I'll post the chapter right then)

So VOTE.

Anyways, See Ya.